The DIR-868L is a draft IEEE 802.11ac router that supports simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz + 5GHz) and can give you speed up to 450Mbps + 1,300Mbps. It is also a “cloud router”, in the sense that you can access your router basic settings via mydlink Lite app on iOS or Android.

Design
This is the first time I am using a router with a totally different design, it is placed upright and the design resembled the new Apple Mac Pro. Can’t really say I am fan of this design but it looks nice and I do get better wireless signal around my house (more details below).

The upright design makes the router tall and flimsy (prone to topple) when placed on a uneven surface. I am placing it on top of my Bluelounge Cablebox.

I think the router can be heavier (currently weight is 560g) to prevent itself from being toppled easily, like maybe adding a few fans inside it? The WD My Net N900 Router has fans inside it.

The DIR-868L ports are located at the back and are pretty standard. 1x USB 3.0 port, 4x 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN ports, 1x 10/100/1000 Gigabit WAN port and 1x power port. There are 2 buttons, the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button which I have never used before (because I don’t find a need to) and the power button.

I think the power button is a great addition to the router. I don’t remember my D-Link DIR-855 having a power button and when I want to restart my router, I always have to plug out and plug in the power cable.

That is the reason why the USB 3.0 speed is disabled by default in the admin interface and when you try to change it, they will warn you.

D-Link DIR-868L – USB 3.0 Warning

Admin Interface
The admin interface is the same old orange D-Link interface which I grown to like when I am using the DIR-855. I am glad they did not change it. It is functional and it loads fast!

Here are some screenshots:

D-Link DIR-868L – Internet Setup

D-Link DIR-868L – Wireless Setup

D-Link DIR-868L – Status Page

D-Link DIR-868L – Virtual Server

Wireless Strength
I am using WiFi Explorer on my MacBook Air to test the wi-fi signals at 2 of my favourite spot in my house, my room and the toilet.

WiFi Explorer – My Room

WiFi Explorer – Toilet

From the table below, when it comes to 5GHz band, the D-Link DIR-868L wins all my previous routers. But when you compare the 2.4GHz band, it’s performance is just average.

Location

DIR-868L

My Net N900

EA6500

EA4500

DIR-855

My Room (2.4GHz)

79%

75%

79%

78%

80%

My Room (5GHz)

91%

64%

64%

65%

46%

Toilet (2.4GHz)

58%

46%

53%

72%

56%

Toilet (5GHz)

55%

35%

41%

33%

31%

Speed
Like all previous router reviews, I am using Speedy Net to test the speed of file transfers within my house network.

Speedy Net – 1Gbps LAN (iMac) to 1Gbps LAN (MacBook Air)

Speedy Net – 1Gbps LAN (iMac) to Wireless N 5GHz (MacBook Air)

Speedy Net – Wireless N 5GHz (iMac) to Wireless N 5GHz (MacBook Air)

From the table below, you can see that the DIR-868L beats WD My Net N900 and Linksys EA4500 in the Wireless N tests. I will have another blog post comparing the speed of Wireless AC of this router vs the Cisco Linksys EA6500.

Type

DIR-868L

My Net N900

EA4500

LAN to LAN

500.19Mbps

–

–

LAN to Wireless N (5GHz)

217.61Mbps

113.48Mbps

107.81Mbps

Wireless N (5GHz) to Wireless N (5GHz)

75.71Mbps

63.01Mbps

65.17Mbps

mydlink Lite
mydlink Lite app is available on iOS and Android. It allows you to check your router current upload/download bandwidth, or manage your wireless network security and status. It also has parental controls like letting you see what sites your children have visited, and you can even block or unblock network access for individual devices.

mydlink Lite iOS App

mydlink Lite iOS App

mydlink Lite iOS App

Summary
The recommended retail price (RRP) is S$319, which is pretty expensive. I think you can get it cheaper at Fuwell in Sim Lim Square when it is available there. I hope Fuwell will price this router lower than its immediate competitor which is the Asus RT-AC66U, priced at S$309.

Apart from the pricing setback, I totally love this router, the signal is good, speed is fast and the admin UI is functional. I am glad to be back to D-Link after a year of hiatus.

If you want a more technical review on this router, checkout SmallNetBuilder.